Nearby Theaters

The Hamilton Theatre first opened circa 1946-47 under the management of the RKO circuit, though photographs show no mention of RKO in the exterior signs. With William I. Hohauser as architect, the theatre was of Neo-Colonial design. The entrance resembled that of a Colonial mansion, and was set back from the street by a landscaped lawn and shrubbery. The single-floor auditorium was almost stark in its simplicity. The walls were painted buff and blue, with dark red wainscot at the base. Six wall plaques of the official American eagle seal of the USA were the only adornments.

At opening, the Hamilton Theatre was reported serving a neighborhood of 10,000 people. Performances of the double-feature programs were held once nightly, with matinees added on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Admission at all times was 40 cents for adults and 25 cents for children.

More information is needed about the Hamilton’s history and the current status of the site.

Looks like this is now a church, the True Servant Worship and Praise Center. Address is 2630 South Broad Street and the correct name of the side street is Maddock Avenue. The building looks almost the same as the picture although it seems closer to the street; perhaps the road was widened at some point (it’s four lanes now), taking out some of the lawn. Or maybe I need new glasses.

A poster on the Brunswick Theater page says that this theater was a copy of the Brunswick (or vice versa), although the seating capacities shown are different. He also says that this was used as a carpet store at one time.

The Hamilton opened on Christmas Day 1946 with a double feature of “Canyon Passage” and “Bamboo Blonde.” At the opening it was a joint venture of the RKO and Walter Reade chains. Newspaper story reproduction here. The blogger who posted the article says that the theater only operated for a short time but doesn’t say exactly how short.

My dad was a projectionist at the Hamilton. It opened just after WWII, and was only open for about 2.5 years. It was a victim of the post-WWII television boom, and never made it. It was an identical twin of the Brunswick Theater, both designed to be neighborhood theaters. However, the era of neighborhood theaters was ending just as they opened.